All is Fair in Love and War
by copperwolf
Summary: the britons and saxons are at war. yugi is prince of the britons and yami is the prince of the saxons. when yami kidnaps yugi and his captins as a randsom will love or hate bloom?(yy,mm,rb,sj)(yaoi)
1. ch1

a/n: here's my first atempt at a Yu-Gi-Oh fic. hope it's not to bad.

disclaimer: don't own nothin'

Ch.1  
  
PrinceYugi of the Britons, grandson of the king, and commander of his majesty's armies was bored. He hated these endless formal diners full of court politics and court gossip. Lately all they talked about was the threat of the Saxon army massing in the north. They seemed to think he could come up with some grand plan to destroy the threat, but he was only seventeen. Yugi sighed, he may be in charge of the army but that didn't mean he instantly knew how to rid Briton of every problem. Age and experience granted wisdom not rank. Yugi had just about given up all hope of rescue when he spotted three familiar figures standing in the doorway, hesitant to get involved. Yugi stood up.  
  
"I'm afraid there is something I must discuss with my captains," he announced, "if you'll excuse me."  
  
It took all of Yugi's will power not to bolt to the freedom of the hallway and his waiting friends. Once out of the great hall and away from the eyes of the court he breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks guys. I think I would have strangled that lord if you hadn't come."  
  
"Really?" the blonde cleric-captain Joey asked. "I was never fond of Lord Pegasus, let's go back."  
  
Yugi laughed "you couldn't pay me enough to go back there."  
  
"Ah, the price of rank." Malik said wisely his lavender eyes lost in thought.  
  
The young captain with white hair and soft chocolate eyes turned to the sandy haired mage. "We're all nobles here too, Malik," Ryou pointed out.  
  
"Yes, but no of us has the rank Yugi has." Malik replied.  
  
Joey shook his head, "you think too much, Malik. C'mon lets get outta here."  
  
The three others nodded in agreement and went to find a tavern. Yugi knew he'd never hear the end of it from his grandfather if he was caught in a tavern with a bunch of peasants and his three, as far as his grandfather was concerned, no good captains but he could care less.

Yami, nephew of the Saxon king, stood on a hill top looking out over the encampment of his army. Three figures stood beside him. One was the High Battle Priest, Seto. Next to Seto stood the sorcerer Marik, and a little ways apart from Marik stood the white haired demon Bakura. Yami's crimson eyes seemed to glow in the darkness as he addressed the three standing next to him.  
  
"We should break camp tomorrow and begin heading south before the Britons have a chance to beg aid from Rome. Seto? Will your battle priests be ready to move?"  
  
"Yes, I will ready them tonight." The blue eyed Saxon replied.  
  
Yami nodded, "good. Bakura, I want you and Marik to take a small strike force south at midnight. Gather as much information as you can."  
  
The sorcerer and the demon turned to go. "Oh and if you find anything worth a ransom bring it to me, anything else is yours." Yami said absently playing with his dagger. He could feel Bakura grin in the darkness.  
  
"Of course Prince Yami," the demon replied before he and Marik left.  
  
"Are you sure it's wise to send those two off alone together?" Seto asked.  
  
"I'm sure; Marik will keep Bakura in check."  
  
"But who will keep Marik in check?" he may be the slightly more sane one of the two but it is only slightly."  
  
"Bakura and Marik know that if they want to keep any treasure they find on this mission they will have to bring me a decent ransom. That means a noble of Briton."  
  
"You're letting an insane sorcerer and a demon loose in the capital of Briton?" Seto chuckled, "this will be the shortest war in history." Seto watched the Saxon prince for a while; it was so hard to read Yami sometimes. "You know they won't wait for a strike force, don't you? They'll teleport themselves to the capital tonight."  
  
Yami grinned, crimson eyes glinting in the moonlight. "I'm counting on it," He replied. "Ready your battle priests, Seto, we march at dawn."

Yugi, Joey, Ryou and Malik stumbled out of the tavern, arms linked and singing at the top of their lungs—badly. Two figures watched them from the alleyway unnoticed.  
  
"You sing terribly, Prince Yugi." Joey slurred.  
  
Yugi giggled in a very unprincely manner. "You too, but neither of us are as bad as Malik."  
  
"Ha-ha! I beat you all! But I guess that means Ryou loses, seeing as he sings the best."  
  
"I think that's a compliment but I'm too drunk to tell." Ryou said.  
  
The two forms from the alley continued to follow them down the darkened city street, conversing in an inhuman tongue.  
  
"Bakura, did that boy just say _Prince_ Yugi, as in the grandson of the Briton king?' Marik asked his companion in the demon tongue.  
  
"I think so but then again my common isn't the greatest." The white haired demon replied in his native language.  
  
"He looks like a smaller version of Prince Yami." Marik noted.  
  
"The eyes are different though, the boy's are purple to Yami's crimson." Bakura corrected. "The one they called Malik bares a striking resemblance to you, my friend, except with tamer hair and a leaner body."  
  
"And the one called Ryou is your human double," Marik retorted. "They're all nobles judging by their dress, let's bring them to Yami."  
  
"You capture the Britons, I'm going looting," Bakura said.  
  
Marik shrugged, "suit yourself." He began reciting the sleep spell.  
  
A strange, greenish fog appeared around Yugi and his companions.  
  
"What's going on?" Joey yelled.  
  
"It's a sleep spell," Malik recognized belatedly; the spell had already begun to take affect. The four companions collapsed in a deep sleep.  
  
Marik chuckled, "too easy."

It was nearly dawn when Marik and Bakura returned, via mage gate, dragging four bodies and a large bag of valuable items. Yami was waiting for them.  
  
"What did you bring?" Yami asked.  
  
"What we believe to be Prince Yugi," Bakura said in demon, not trusting his common to convey the fact it was only an assumption.  
  
"Actually, judging by his clothing, I'm fairly certain." Marik said in common pointing to the smallest of the four.  
  
Yami rolled the boy over with his foot and his eyes went wide. He starred down at the unconscious form of the Briton who looked so much like him. It was definitely Prince Yugi, Yami had seen him once before and no other had borne such a close resemblance to him.  
  
"Tie them up and put binding spells on them in case one of them is a mage. Inform me when they wake.' Yami turned and disappeared into the camp to prepare to march at first light.

a/n: like? no like? well review. no flames please.


	2. ch2

a/n: sorry it took so long to update but I've been unbelievably busy. I'm glad you like my story so far, makes a girl proud. Well, with no further ado...chapter two!

Ch1

Prince Yami rode atop his black stallion near the front of the line of soldiers marching south. He was brooding; something that was not uncommon for him, but it was the subject of his thoughts that was out of place—the boy Yugi. When he told Bakura and Marik to bring a ransom he had not intended for them to bring the prince. Most would consider this a stroke of luck for the Saxons and so would Yami—if he didn't have to be the one holding Yugi captive.

flashback

_Two little boys stood in a clearing, eying each other warily. They looked almost identical except for their difference in height and eye color. Crimson burned into amethyst as the boys faced each other across the clearing. The shorter, amethyst eyed one made the first move._

"_My name's Yugi. What's yours?" he asked._

"_What does it matter to you, Briton?" the crimson eyed one growled._

"_Well my grandpa is in a meeting and I have no one to play with. I saw you all alone and thought you might need a friend." Yugi explained, not bothered at all by the older boy's hostile attitude._

_The other boy considered this. "Doesn't it bother you that I'm a Saxon?" he asked finally. _

_Yugi shook his head with a confused look, "no, should it?"_

"_Well you're a Briton and I'm a Saxon, we're supposed to hate each other."_

"_Why? I don't know you—how could I hate you?" Yugi asked._

_The crimson eyed boy growled in frustration. "That's just the way it's supposed to be."_

"_Well, I don't want to hate you and you can't make me. I'd rather be your friend." Yugi crossed his arms stubbornly._

_The other boy stood silent for a while, "Yami," he said finally._

"_What?"_

"_My name is Yami,"_

end flashback

Yami growled in frustration making the soldiers near him shy away, afraid of incurring his wrath. Why did they have to bring Yugi? True they hadn't seen each other since that council meeting so long ago, but the memory was still fresh in his mind; his first friend, the stubborn Briton who refused to hate him. He wondered if time had changed that.

Yugi awoke to the jolting motions of the wagon he was tied up in. _Where am I?_ He wondered groggily. He starred around at the soldier surrounded cart and to the confused faces of his friends.

"Where are we?" Joey asked.

"You are captives of prince Yami of the Saxons." A voice informed them in harsh sounding common. Yugi turned to see a demonic version of Ryou riding along side them.

"Yami of the Saxons? Oh no we must be ransoms," Ryou said.

"Yes," was all that the demon said.

_Prince Yami captured us? I wonder if he remembers me. So much has changed since then._ Yugi thought, amethyst eyes lost in memory.

flashback

"_Yami,"_

"_What?"_

"_My name is Yami," the crimson eyed boy said._

_Yugi grinned, "I like that name."_

"_I don't," Yami said crossly, unnerved by the odd behavior of this Briton._

"_Can you play chess, Yami?" Yugi asked seeing as he had his chessboard in his bag._

"_Of course I can."_

"_Good. Let's play."_

_They set up the chessboard and began to play. Every game ended in a stalemate. By the end of the day Yami had begun to enjoy the Briton's company._

"_You do know that we'll have to hate each other when we grow up, don't you?" Yami asked as they headed back to the keep where the council was being held._

"_I refuse to hate you, Yami," Yugi said stubbornly, "hate me all you want but I won't hate you. Not ever."_

_Yami sighed and ruffled the smaller boy's hair. "Okay, little one, you win. I can't hate you either."_

_Yugi grinned and hugged the older boy, "see how much nicer that is?"_

_Yami couldn't help but grin I return "You're impossible."_

end flashback

_I still don't hate you, Yami. _Yugi thought,_ Even if we are at war._

The sound of galloping hooves broke Yugi from his trance. He looked up to see a figure on a black horse galloping towards them. Yami had changed very little from the way Yugi remembered him. He was taller and his crimson eyes seemed a bit harder, but he was still in everyway Yugi's darker counterpart. Yugi began to tremble slightly, what would it be like to face Yami after all these years?

The white haired demon said something to the prince in a strange, stilted, language.

"Prince Yugi, how fortunate for the Saxons that you happen to fall into my lap." Yami sneered.

"So you have me—why don't you let my friends go? I'm all the ransom you need," Yugi replied in turn.

"No, I don't think so. I will hold them to insure your good behavior." Yami said.

Yugi starred defiantly at Yami and mouthed the words 'I don't hate you.'

Yami's eyes widened then narrowed. "We'll finish this chat when we set up camp for the night. Bakura bring the prince to my tent when we stop," and with that he rode back to the front.

Bakura secured them in a tent when they had made camp. There had been little talk between the companions, each lost in their own train of thought. Once the others were secure Bakura grabbed Yugi and dragged him out of the tent and into Prince Yami's. Yami had his back to them.

"You may go Bakura." Yami said, and Bakura turned and left.

"Why won't you hate me? It would make this so much easier for both of us if you would." Yami said after a moment.

"I said it then and I'll say it now, 'I refuse to hate you,'" Yugi answered stubbornly.

Yami turned to face him, "I'm this close to killing Bakura and Marik for brining you here," he said.

"Why? Didn't you tell them to capture me?" Yugi asked, puzzled.

"No, I told them to capture a ransom, not you. I never wanted to see you again," Yami said.

"Why?" Yugi asked, hurt evident in his voice, "do you hate me that much?"

"No. I can't hate you and that's the whole problem. If I could hate you then I could be mean and nasty and treat you the way I would any ransom, but no—I can't" Yami explained irritably.

"Well why don't you just let me and my friends go?" Yugi asked hopefully.

"Not a chance. The whole army knows you here and if I let you go they might think I've changed sides. Then I'd have a mutiny on my hands" Yami shook his head.

"Well maybe if we 'escaped' then you..." Yugi began but Yami cut him off.

"No! And to make sure that doesn't happen I'm going to split you up. The cleric I'll place under my Battle Priest Seto's care. I'll let Marik deal with the mage and the other I'll leave to Bakura." Yami decided.

Yugi could only stare. Could this cold hearted person be the same boy he had known ten years ago? "What about me?"

"You will stay with me where I can keep an eye on you." Yami stepped outside to give orders to one of the guards to pass on to Bakura, Marik, and Seto. Yugi prayed his friends would be safe.

a/n: please review! Suggestions are welcome.


	3. ch3

a/n: ok first of all I want to apologize for not updating for so long. It was very bad of me and I'm sorry but I finally have chapter three typed. Ok enough yapping on my part, enjoy.

Ch.3

The cleric Joey struggled vainly against the ropes that bound him. The chestnut haired Saxon Battle Priest watched him with amusement. He chuckled slightly. Joey looked up at him, anger in his honey colored eyes. He glared at his captor and paused in his struggling.

"Find me funny do ya?" he snapped.

"Who wouldn't find a Briton like you tied up amusing? Your kind is no better than dogs." Seto replied.

Joey struggled harder, "so you think you're better than me huh? Untie me, Saxon, and we'll see who's superior."

Seto only smirked. "Why would I waist my time on a dog like you?" he said before turning and exiting the tent, leaving a fuming blonde cleric in his wake.

Ryou didn't struggle, he just sat, head hanging sadly, in his bonds. His Earth Magic would be of little help here. If he were outside though where he could grab a twig or a leaf of some kind it would be a different story. He figured that if he waited patiently enough his captor would present him with an opportunity to free himself and his friends.

Ryou could feel his captor watching him, eyes burning into his head. Every now and then he would hear him mutter in that strange stilted language that Ryou guessed to be some sort of demonic tongue.

It was remarkable how much the demon looked like him. It was said that every one had an opposite version of themselves somewhere; in fact he had seen it before. They didn't always look like each other but it was not uncommon. Ryou wondered if this demon was his.

"Going out," the demon announced suddenly in his harsh sounding common. "Don't try nothing." And with that he left.

Malik was sitting tied up in the middle of the Saxon sorcerer's tent in a quite rage. His power was blocked and nothing frustrated a mage more than being unable to use his powers. He glared at his Saxon double in contempt and was receiving the self same stare back.

"What do you want with us?" Malik demanded, "Where's Yugi and the others?"

"Shut up Briton!" Marik growled, "You're in no position to be asking questions."

"I'm not talking orders from you, Saxon sorcerer!" Malik answered defiantly.

_Slap!_ Marik backhanded him. Malik's cheek stung from the blow.

"Listen Briton, if you want you or your friends to get out of here alive I suggest you keep you trap shut." Marik threatened. He walked to the door of the tent. "Think on that a while." And he left. Malik glared balefully at the spot where Marik had stood.

Yugi watched as Yami paced back and forth within the confines of the tent. The Saxon prince was muttering to himself but too low for Yugi to make out the words. Though Yami had changed little physically in the last ten years he had changed a great deal mentally. He was much colder than he use to be and his hatred of Britons was almost like an obsession now but Yugi could still see glimmers of the boy he'd known. Especially when Yami looked at him. Yugi was desperate for a way to bring that side out; he searched around for some common ground on which to meet the Saxon prince. He spotted a chessboard on a table in the tent. He walked over, grateful Yami had unbound his wrists, and began setting up the pieces. Yami stopped his pacing to see what he was up to.

"What are you doing?" he asked harshly.

"Want to play a game of chess?" Yugi asked innocently.

Yami's look was suspicious. "What?"

"Chess, you do remember how to play don't you?" Yugi said

Yami snorted. "Of course, but I don't have time to play chess. I have to meet with my generals."

Yami walked over. "Stay in this tent!" he ordered. "Try and leave and your friends' lives will be forfeit."

"Only if you promise to play me a game of chess when you're done." Yugi said covering up the shock that Yami was going to leave him unbound and the fear his last statement had put in his heart.

"Fine," Yami growled, "Now stay put!" and with that he turned and marched out of the tent.

Yami, Seto, Marik, and Bakura met on a hilltop just outside the Saxon encampment.

"How far did we come today?" Yami asked.

"Twelve miles, the wagons slow are progress," Seto reported.

"It will slow to only five or six miles when we reach the mountains." Bakura added in demon.

Yami frowned, "what is your take on the captives?" he asked his three companions.

"The Briton dog is all bark and no bite," Seto said with amusement.

"The mage is gonna be a handful, had to hit him to keep him from yapping," Marik said in annoyance.

"Quiet, don't talk, don't fight," came Bakura's rough common.

"How is the prince? A little snot I would bet." Seto commented.

"He is nothing of the sort!" Yami snapped forcefully causing his generals to look at him in surprise. Yami seeming to just realize he had defended his captive glared at the others. "He is a ransom nothing more nothing less," he stated, but sounded more as if he was trying to convince himself.

Marik and Seto exchanged glances but it was Bakura who spoke up.

"Yami, you mustn't let the brat get to you. He will help you win this war; help you destroy the Britons once and for all." Bakura reminded him speaking in demon so as to be sure to get his point across. "I have nothing personal against the Britons, to me a human is a human. But since you see some sort of inferiority in them I guess they must be stamped out for purity of the breed."

"Bakura's right, although they look like our doubles we can not get attached to them. It would ruin everything." Marik agreed.

"You have know worries here," Seto interjected, "I would never get attached to that mutt!"

Yami nodded. He stood in silence for a moment, his crimson eyes lost in thought. Finally he looked up at them. "Very well, you're dismissed. Guard the captives well; there are leverage against Prince Yugi."

The others all turned and returned to camp leaving Yami alone on the hilltop. The Saxon prince spoke softly into the darkness. "May the gods grant me strength; in war all things must go. If I need to I must not hesitate to kill the prince and his companions. Though I'm not sure I can."

"_that is true Prince Yami; all is fair in war, but all is fair in love as well. Which will it be? Do you remember the prophecy?" _a voice asked.

Yami looked up startled but could see no one. "Who's there?"

"_The prophecy, do you remember it?"_ the disembodied voice asked.

"Prophecy?" Yami asked sharply. "I have no idea what your talking about. Where are you?"

the voice began to chant:

"_Swords and roses, blood and tears,_

_Anger and happiness, comfort and tears._

_Everything happens, anything goes,_

_Like a circle, no start, no close._

_All is fair in love and war,_

_Never the same as before._

_Choose carefully which battle to fight,_

_One wrong step will destroy the light."_

"Who are you? What is that suppose to mean?" Yami was angry now. He prowled the hilltop searching for the source of the voice.

"_Now where would the fun be if I told you that?"_ the voice chuckled.

"There was more to that prophecy!" Yami stated.

"_True, but that part is not meant for you. Go back to camp and play your game with the prince. After all he wants to and how can you resist those bug purple eyes?" _the voice asked.

Yami growled in response. The voice only laughed and was gone.

a/n: alright so what do you guys think that voice was? Any guesses? Also I apologize for the bad poetry, I'm not the greatest poet. Well you know the drill time to review.


End file.
